Ch. 33

"No no no no no no no I don't think so I'm not going to let you you're not going to do that Sam will stay here in his bed and I will care for him and no one will be here because you've outworn your welcome and you can all leave NOW!" Rosie panted after this long sentence that she burst out with after Pippin finished describing the plan for the third time. One breath was not nearly enough to say all of this and she was worn.

"Rosie," Pippin said, rubbing his temples. "It's the only way to help him."

She opened her mouth to continue her ranting, but stopped. Pippin knew what she would have said. She would have said, "Then he will die." Her love for Sam, however, overtook her anger and she said, "I am not allowing this."

Gandalf stepped in saying, "I am sorry, Rosie, but this will happen with or without your permission. But without your assistance, we will likely fail- and Sam will die."

Rosie's eyes welled up. She darted into a bedroom and a noise against the door suggested that she had slumped down behind there.

Gimli had a puzzled look on his face. "Pippin, could you explain your plan again?"

Pippin sighed and began for the fourth time. "Water. Water boils in a way that represents Sam's life. His life was calm and unbothered for many years. Then the Ring came along and Sam set of on a small journey, just to Rivendell, to get the Ring to Elrond. The small ripples of travel turned into the steady bubbling of disturbance, when we joined the Fellowship through the time it was broken. Then he and Frodo took off on their own, the path increasing in treachery. The rolling boil reached its peak at Mount Doom. When they were rescued and brought home, it was like removing the water from the heat- an abrupt ceasing of any movement. He hasn't left the Shire, except to see off Frodo. He needs to be back out there. It's his only chance of recovery. We need your help to get into each area of Middle Earth, for you all have some influence." Reaching down, he pulled out a map that he'd planned their route on. "Look, we head South through Rohan, with Aragorn's help, since he is friend to Eomer more than I, and Gondor, also Aragorn, whip around Mordor, I won't go back there, make our way through Mirkwood with the help of Legolas, Rivendell and Lorien, Arwen, sorry, Gimli, but I don't think Moria's a place we need to go, and- Tarien, where are you from?"

Tarien promptly replied, "I'd rather not say. My homeland is not of the highest esteem, for that is why I left it."

"Alright, then." Pippin looked around. "Does everyone understand?"

"I have a question."

Pippin looked behind the wall of people facing him. Rosie stood there. "How do we get home?"

Pippin asked, "So you'll go along with it?"

"Tell me how we'll get home."